Some events, such as insurance claims and litigation, have traditionally been tracked and managed using paper files. These files typically include various documents, notes and other paperwork that are associated with the event. In addition, the file may be organized in some manner to enable a user to track various components of the event. Although paper files are generally secure and capable of being stored over long periods of time, they have significant drawbacks.
For example, if an event is particularly complex, the paper file may become very large, or may need to be separated into several files. Such an arrangement increases the likelihood that a part of the file may become lost. In addition, a paper file cannot be easily shared by several users, especially if the users are not in the same location.
Another area in which paper files are lacking is the maintenance of event-related documents. Using an automobile insurance claim as an example of an event, a document related to that event may be a photograph of an accident scene. If a user (e.g., an insurance representative) needs to take notes with respect to the photograph, the user may simply write on the photograph itself. If an unaltered version of the photograph is subsequently needed, the photographer may need to be contacted, or the photograph retaken. Alternatively, the user would have to store an unaltered copy of the document in the file, along with the altered version, which would increase the size of the file and again increase the likelihood that a part of the file would become lost or disorganized. A further shortcoming of paper-based files is the inability to easily maintain cross-references between documents and the parts of the file to which the documents pertain. This shortcoming is particularly pronounced as the size of the file increases and portions of the file change, as it requires a great deal of effort to manually maintain the accuracy of the file.
It is sometimes useful to associate a recorded statement or other audio recording with an event and/or with other files associated with an event. For example, an audio record may be desired of a statement received telephonically or received orally by a field representative. Typically, such statements might be recorded on a portable recording device such as a cassette recorder that may be adapted to record over a telephone. More recently, portable digital recording devices have been employed. Recordings then exist as a physical tape or an electronic file on a portable device. Associating the recording with an event or with files associated with an event may have involved placing a physical copy of the recording, a cassette or disk for example, in a physical file associated with the event.